Force-feed lubricated chain saw bar unit



Nov. 17, 1959 E. R. NlELsEN FORCE-FEED LUBRICATED CHAIN sAwYBAR UNIT Filed July 3l, 1958 INVENTOR.

BY M 977V@ 2,913,020 FORCE-FEED LUBRIcATED-GHAI'N SAW BAR UNIT Erick R. Nielsen, Stockton, Calif. applicati@ July @1,1958, 'serial No. 152,321

s Claims.` (Cl. 14a- 32).v

f invention relatesY inv general to an improvement inithewbarjunit of a power drivenr portable; cham saw;

United States Patent Asuch saw being of the type which includes anl endless 'cutter chain running on the peripheryofsaidfbar unit.Y

assureiofpositive and eilective lubrication of the-cutter; chainl inthe complete travel thereofv on said bar'unit.; i Another important object of this invention is tofprovide' a; chain saw bar unit which includes a novel V'guide rail for'theendless cutter chain;rsuch guidel rail, in connee tion withl a part of the bar; comprising-the structure employed to accomplish the multiple point feed'of the' lubricating'oil to the endlessk cutter chain.

-A'n additional object ofthe invention is'to provide ar a substantial economy is eiected;

A further object of the invention is' to pr'ovi'defnovel' meansfor removably securing the guide'railto the bari It isl also an objectof the invention to providea chain saw b'ar unit which is designed forease and economy of" manufacture. j Still another object ofthe inventionis'to provide a practical, reliable, and durable chain.. saw bar unit, and one which will bev exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it isdesigned.

These,objects are accomplished by means ofv such structure-and relative arrangement Yof parts as -will fully appear byga perusal of the followingspecication and claims.

In the drawings: Fig. ,l isa side outline. ofy aportabl'e'y chain sawv ftfted with the improved bar unit; the latter being partly broken away and partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the bar unit, detached; the view being partly broken away and partly in section. Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

2,913,020 Patented Nov. 1959 2 end such chain is driven vbysuitable andconv ntional mechanism (not shown) but which includes a drive sprocket within" the confines ofy the engineand' drive unit 1. I

' Thechain saw b'ar unit S", which embodies the essence` of the present invention, is comprised of a longitudinal; forwardly projectingbarA 8 which isatsided, relatively thin '.transversely,.and of generally'elliptical'form in side elevation.,

yTlle general shape of they bar 8': is substantially conl``v ventional and such `bar includes-at'the rear enda. longitudinal, open-ended slot l9for the reception of bolts 10 which secure said bar8 tofthe"mounting`or"attach= mentbl'ock 4. The outerior peripheral edge' lloffthe bar' 8 terminates atV its" rearA endsj above and'- below the slot1 '9,` b'utbetween such ends extends unbroken or' coif-1 tinuou's` about the entirev length oftsaid; ba'r" 8` 1 f continuous i guide rail' `1'2 l seats `ol1"-t h`e perip'h'eral edge. 11 of bar 8 for the full lengthiof'saided'ge' andli'n matching relation', thereto.: Such" guide' railff 1" 2f'i's of generally elliptical formxbutr` is'open'at the' rearend; the rail beingmade of a metal which permits fsaidrail to be snap-engaged ontothe bar Sfrom its forward end.' Such =guide rail, 12 ,is properly located on,` "'a`nd"effec-l tively detachab'ly secured' to,"tl'le" bar S-as follc'lvl'lslV t Inicrossv section thegnide'rail 1 2 ^is Hfshaped, whereby 'i to provide a continuous outwardly opening `channel"1 3';f.

a continuous inwardlyopening channel. 14; and a centrali dividing webtlS' betweerrsuchA channels' 13 arid 14.` Acontinuouslongitudinal" tongue 1 6is` formed integral with-` the bar. 8 and projects outwardly centrally between" guideirail, as in the preceding paragraph, which is an initially separate member secured to` the bar lfor'ready. removal at such time as it becomes necessaryto'rjeplace the raili'because of Wear or damage. This avoids the: need of replacing theY entire bar unit andas a consequence the sidesof said bar;`s'uch tongue16 engaging' inrel'al tively close, fitting relationv in' tlie inwardlyI opening' channel 141 of' the' guide railk 112; whereby" to elfectively locatehelatter on` said bar'S'Q' Cross pins 17 extend through the guide railllalnd'tlie" tongue 16v adjacentibutshort of. the endsof isaidfrail,44

whereby to vseeuresaidrailand the bar 8 'against' relative" longitudinal displacement; laterali l disp la'lcernerl't'v ofv the rail'` beingprevented by the' tongue 16- engaged in? cli'a'nrieli pose of removal anjd'replacement of' said guide,rail`1 2`.

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the numeral 1 indicates a conventional engine and drive unit of a portable or hand-supported type of chain saw; such engine and drive unit 1 including a rear handle 2, a front handle 3, and a forwardly projecting mounting or attachment block 4.

A chain saw bar unit, indicated generally at 5, is fixed in rigid connection with the attachment block 4 and projects forwardly therefrom; such bar unit 5 providing the supporting and guide medium for an endless cutter chain 6 which includes outwardly projecting cutter teeth 7. For a major portion of its length the endless cutter chain 6 travels on said bar unit and at its rear wardly opening vchannel 13' Aof said' rail.

prevent" unduev wear` on theV endlesscutter chain 6` it 1s" has been a commonfpractice to merely feedalubricatingV4 the chain then having been relied upon to deliver the lubricating oil all about the bar unit. However, frequently the oil did not adequately distribute about the bar unit, with the result that the cutter chain-particularly in the `lower course or run-starved for oil, and thus was subject to undue wear.

With the present invention proper and eiective lubrication -of the cutter chain for the full length of its travel on the bar unit 5 is assured, and this is accomplished as follows:

The continuous tongue 16 is of lesser height than the depth of the inwardly opening channel 14, whereby to definein the rail 12a continuous, lubricating oil feed passage 19; there being a plurality of longitudinally spaced oriiices 20 in the central web 15-throughout substantially its entire lengthto thus establish multiple points of communication between said passage 19 and the outwardly opening channel 13 in which the guide lins 18 run.

On one side, adjacent the top and rear of the barV unit 5, the guide rail 12 is formed with a port 21 which communicates with the passage 19; such port, when the bar unit is mounted on the engine and drive unit 1, registering with a port .22l in the mountingor attachment b'lecl4, and to which port 22 lubricatingbil vis fedunder pressure from va supply tank-23V on said `unit 1. The latter includes-conventionally-a lubricating oil feed pump (not shown) interposed between the tanlcZBand the port 22. i v l With lubricating oil fed under pressure to the port 22, and thence through the port 21 and into the passage 19, such oil delivers or feeds through all of the orifices 20 into the outwardly opening channel 13, whereby to effectively and positively lubricate the cutter chain 6, including the guide'ns v18, throughout the entire path of travel of said chain on the bar unit 5. -A `In order to prevent escape of any of the lubricating oil,' from the ends of the feed passage.19i.e. at the rear of said edge whereby to abut said member and block the passage at corresponding ends.

3. A chain saw bar unit, for a driven endless cutter chain, comprising an elongated bar having a peripheral edge, a continuous guide rail symmetrically engaging and extending along such edge, the guide rail being H-shaped in cross section whereby to provide an outwardly opening channel `and an inwardly opening channel separated by a web, the guide rail supporting the cutter chain and the latter including elements running in the outer channel, a continuous longitudinal tongue on the bar centrally between the sides of and projecting outwardly from said edge into the inwardly'opening channel in close fitting relation transversely of said rail, the height of the tongue being lesser than the depth of the inwardly opening channel so as to dene a continuous passage between the tongue and said web, the latter having a plurality of .longitudinally spaced orices therethrough, closure end of the' bar 8-the .central web( 15 is increased inL i depth, as at 24, to an extent suflcient to abut the adjacent edge of the tongue 16, which provides an eiective closure at? said ends of passage 19.

l With-the chain saw bar unit S constructed as described,

not only is proper lubrication of the cutter chain 6 assured all along the path of its travel, but additionally the guide rail 12 can be readily removed for replacement when necessary. n v e From the foregoing description it will be readilyseen that there :has been produced such a device as will sub stantially fulill -the objects of the invention, as set vforth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the presentvv and preferred constructionof the device, still in practice means -for the passage at the` rear end of the bar, and means adapted to introduce lubricating oil yinto Ythe passage at a predetermined point. A Y

Y 4. A chain-saw bar unit comprising an elongated bar provided .with a peripheral edge having separated ends at the -rear end of the bar, a. continuous chain supporting and guide rail separate from the bar symmetrically engaging and extending along said edge from end toend and the adjacent face of the rail, the rail being detachsu'ch'deviations from such detail may be resorted toasA do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. t

lHaving thus .described the invention the following* is claimed as new and useful, and uponvwhich Letters Patent are desired:

,1. A chain saw bar unit, for a driven endless cutter chain, comprising an elongated bary having a peripheral edge, a continuous `guide extending along suchedge, the guide supporting the cutterchain, said guide being H- shaped in crosssection whereby to provide an outer channel and' Aan -inner channel separated by a web, the cutterchain including `velementsrunning in the outer channel, a continuous member on said edge of the bar projecting in closing relation into the inner channel but terminating short of the web whereby to define an internal passage inthe guide, spaced orifices in the web communicating between the internal passage and the outer channel, and the guide being adapted for the introduction of lubricating oil into such passage.

Y 2. A chain saw bar unit, as in claim l, in whichvthe web inwardly increased in thickness adjacent the ends able from the bar by lengthwise movement of the-,railI away from said rear end of the bar, and means remove ably securing the rail and bartogether.

5. A chain-saw bar unit comprising an elongated-bar v` providedwith a peripheral edge having separated ends at the rear end of the bar, a continuous chain supporting and guiderail separate from the bar symmetrically engagfl ing'and extending along said edge from end to, end

7, thereof, a lubricant channel feeding at spaced points in its` length to the chainvbeing formed between said edge and the adjacent face of the rail, the rail being detachable from the bar by lengthwise movement of the rail away from said rear end of the bar, said peripherall edge e o'f the bar being of generally elliptical form and the rail being of resilient material to permit of snap-engagement of the rail onto the bar, and means detachably connecting the bar and rail adjacent the ends of the latter.

vReferences Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS' i Man Dec. 26, i939 

